Expandable Toilet Paper Roll Holder

ABSTRACT

An expandable toilet paper roll holder. The device includes a base unit having a bottom wall, a rear wall, a pair of sidewalls, a front wall having a lower access opening, and an open upper end defining an interior volume. Multiple tiers positioned above the base unit are disposed in a telescopic arrangement, such that the tiers are moveable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration. Each tier defines an interior channel configured to enclose a toilet paper roll. A removably attached handle includes a pair of prongs that extend into the interior volume of the base unit through a pair of vertically spaced apertures disposed on one sidewall of the base unit. Each prong supports a hollow core of a toilet paper roll within the interior volume of the base unit, such that a toilet paper roll is accessible through the lower access opening of the front wall.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/801,382 filed on Feb. 5, 2019. This application relates to patentable improvements upon the devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,033,172. The above identified patent application and patent are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety to provide continuity of disclosure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to toilet paper roll holders. More particularly, the present invention provides an expandable toilet paper roll holder that allows multiple toilet paper rolls to be stacked atop a toilet paper roll dispenser for easily accessible storage of additional toilet paper rolls.

Toilet paper is commonly sold in a rolled form, whereby a length of perforated paper is rolled around a hollow cylindrical core. The hollow core is typically supported on a horizontal rod, such that the core can rotate around the rod as an individual unrolls a length of the perforated paper. Eventually, when the toilet paper sheet is consumed, the user must replace the empty core with a new roll of toilet paper. The act of replacing exhausted empty cores with new toilet paper rolls is a common chore that involves locating a replacement toilet tissue roll, removing and discarding the empty roll, and securing the replacement roll onto the dispenser. It can be inconvenient and time consuming to locate new rolls of toilet paper and replace the empty cores.

In households or other buildings with a large number of occupants, it is important to have multiple rolls of toilet paper on hand, since toilet paper rolls must be replaced more often. Sometimes, extra toilet paper rolls are left out in container or strewn about a bathroom or other area of the building. While they may be accessible after searching for and retrieving the toilet paper rolls, exposing the toilet paper rolls to open air for extended periods may lead to contamination of the toilet paper rolls. It is important for the rolls to be accessible but also for them to be maintained in a sanitary environment prior to use. Additionally, toilet paper is a fragile material that is prone to unwanted ripping or tearing if treated roughly. If the toilet paper rolls are not protected in an enclosed environment, they may become damaged by other objects or other external factors when being moved or stored. This renders the toilet paper unappealing and more difficult to use properly.

In view of these concerns, it is desirable to provide a toilet paper roll holder that stores the rolls in an easily accessible and sanitary manner. It is also desirable to provide a toilet paper roll holder that includes a horizontal supporting member that supports a toilet paper roll core, such that the toilet paper can be easily dispensed from the holder.

Devices have been disclosed in the known art that relate to toilet paper roll holders. These include devices that have been patented and disclosed in patent application publications. However, the devices in the known art have drawbacks. Some devices include expandable and collapsible holders for storing toilet paper rolls in a stacked configuration. However, the devices in the known art fail to provide users with a storage device that stores multiple toilet paper rolls in a stacked configuration, which also includes mechanism for supporting the toilet paper rolls on a horizontal supporting member, such that toilet paper can be easily dispensed and retrieved from the storage area when needed.

In light of the devices disclosed in the known art, it is submitted that the present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the known art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing toilet paper roll holder devices. In this regard the present invention substantially fulfills these needs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of toilet paper roll holders now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an expandable toilet paper roll holder wherein the same can be utilized for providing convenience for the user when storing toilet paper rolls such that replacement rolls are easily accessible and toilet paper can be dispensed and retrieved with ease.

In an exemplary embodiment, the expandable toilet paper roll holder includes a base unit having a bottom wall, a rear wall, a pair of sidewalls, a front wall having a lower access opening, and an open upper end defining an interior volume. Multiple tiers positioned above the base unit are disposed in a telescopic arrangement, such that the tiers are moveable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration. Each tier includes a plurality of sidewalls, an open upper end, and an open lower end defining an interior channel configured to enclose a toilet paper roll. A removably attached handle includes a pair of prongs that extend into the interior volume of the base unit through a pair of vertically spaced apertures disposed on one sidewall of the base unit. Each prong supports a hollow core of a toilet paper roll within the interior volume of the base unit, such that a toilet paper roll is accessible through the lower access opening of the front wall.

One object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved toilet paper roll storage device that includes all of the advantages of the devices in the known art and none of the disadvantages.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a toilet paper roll holder that includes a means to store replacement toilet paper rolls in close proximity to a supporting member that supports a roll of toilet paper for easy dispensing of the toilet paper.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a toilet paper roll holder that includes mounting apertures for securing the toilet paper roll holder to a vertically oriented surface, such as a wall, for example.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout.

FIG. 1 shows a front perspective view of an embodiment of the expandable toilet paper roll holder in an expanded configuration.

FIG. 2 shows a rear perspective view of an embodiment of the expandable toilet paper roll holder in an expanded configuration.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of an individual tier of an embodiment of the expandable toilet paper roll holder.

FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional front elevation view of an embodiment of the expandable toilet paper roll holder in an expanded configuration.

FIG. 5 shows a front elevation view of an embodiment of the expandable toilet paper roll holder in a collapsed configuration.

FIG. 6 shows a side elevation view of an embodiment of the expandable toilet paper roll holder in a collapsed configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the expandable toilet paper roll holder. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for storing toilet paper rolls in a stacked configuration, whereby the lowermost toilet paper roll is supported on a horizontally oriented member for easy dispensing of the toilet paper roll when it is needed. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a front perspective view of an embodiment of the expandable toilet paper roll holder in an expanded configuration and a rear perspective view of an embodiment of the expandable toilet paper roll holder in an expanded configuration, respectively. The expandable toilet paper roll holder 10 includes a base unit 11 that can be supported on a horizontal support surface, such as the floor or a countertop, for example. The base unit 11 includes a bottom wall, a pair of sidewalls, and a front wall having a lower access opening 15 for accessing a stored toilet paper roll 101. Multiple tiers 12 are supported above the base unit 11 in a telescopic configuration. This allows the tiers 12 to be movable between an expanded configuration, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and a collapsed configuration, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The tiers 12 maintain the expanded configuration via interference fit or frictional engagement with adjacent tiers 12, and maintain a nested configuration when collapsed.

In the illustrated embodiment, each tier 12 includes a directional indicium 17. The directional indicia indicate the proper orientation for the tiers 12 during installation and setup of the present invention. Each tier 12 may also include an identifying indicium 19 that is configured to convey the proper ordering the of the tiers 12. Since each tier 12 differs slightly in size in order to maintain the telescopic configuration, it is important to position the tiers 12 in the correct order to permit for expansion or collapsing of the expandable toilet paper roll holder 10 as needed.

The base unit 11 further includes a handle 16. In the illustrated embodiment, the handle includes an elongated vertical portion having a pair of prongs on opposing ends thereof. The prongs extend perpendicularly inwardly from the elongated vertical portion through vertically spaced apertures 18 disposed on one sidewall of the base unit 11 (visible in FIG. 4). The lower prong extends through the hollow core of the lowermost toilet paper roll 101, supporting the roll such that it can be easily unrolled and dispensed through the base unit opening 15.

In the shown embodiment, the rear wall of the base unit 11 includes a pair of mounting apertures 20 that allow the expandable toilet paper roll holder 10 to be secured to a desired mounting surface. For example, the toilet paper roll holder 10 may be secured to a wall or fixture near a toilet via fasteners such as screws, nails, or any other suitable fastener. Additionally, in the shown embodiment, the uppermost tier 12 includes a removably secured lid 13. The lid 13 encloses the stored toilet paper rolls from the external environment and can be easily removed to add additional rolls when needed. The lid 13 may include a handle 14 to assist with removing the lid 13 from the uppermost tier 12.

Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown a perspective view of an individual tier of an embodiment of the expandable toilet paper roll holder. Each tier 12 includes a plurality of sidewalls 24, an open upper end, and an open lower end defining an interior channel 25 configured to enclose a toilet paper roll. In order to facilitate a telescopic configuration, each tier 12 includes a taper from its lower edge 22 to its upper edge 23, such that a diameter of the open lower end is greater than a diameter of the open upper end. Each tier 12 differs slightly in size, which allows an upper tier to receive a lower tier through its open lower end while as inwardly angled sidewalls 24 contact the outer sidewalls of the received tier 12. In one embodiment, the taper is defined by a one degree vertical angle. This dimension allows for a snug fit between the tiers 12 but still permits the tiers 12 to be slidably adjusted as the device is moved between the collapsed and expanded configurations. Further, in the shown embodiment, the lower edge 22 of each tier includes an interference fit ring 26 extending around the perimeter of the tier 12. The ring 26 frictionally engages the next upper tier 12 to support the toilet paper roller holder in the expanded configuration.

Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown a cross-sectional front elevation view of an embodiment of the expandable toilet paper roll holder in an expanded configuration. In the illustrated embodiment, the lid 13 includes a perimeter flange 34 that engages the sidewall 24 of the uppermost tier 44 via a snap fit connection. This allows the lid 13 to be effectively secured to the uppermost tier 44 while still allowing it to be easily removed when needed. The tiers 12 can be expanded upwardly to enclose as many toilet paper rolls 101 as there are tiers 12. In the shown embodiment, the first or lowermost tier 12 is supported on an interior lip 45 that is disposed within the interior volume of the base unit 12.

The handle 16 includes prongs 27 that extend through the apertures 18 on the base unit 12. The lower prong 27 extends through a hollow core 51 of the lowermost toilet paper roll 101. This permits the toilet paper roll 101 to be freely rotatable about the lower prong 27, such that the user can easily unroll and dispense the supported toilet paper roll 101. Additionally, the upper prong 27 extends through the hollow core 51 of a second toilet paper roll 101 supported above the first toilet paper roll 101, such that two toilet paper rolls 101 are supported within the interior volume of the base unit. The second prong 27 spaces the second toilet paper roll 101 above the first toilet paper roll 101 so that it does not interfere with the unrolling and dispensing of the first toilet paper roll 101. In this way, the second toilet paper roll also provides a stable supporting surface for additional stacked toilet paper rolls 101 that are stored within the tiers 12.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, there is shown a front elevation view of an embodiment of the expandable toilet paper roll holder in a collapsed configuration and a side elevation view of an embodiment of the expandable toilet paper roll holder in a collapsed configuration, respectively. Depending upon the number of toilet paper rolls 101 supported within the toilet paper roll holder, the uppermost tier 44 can be collapsed downward toward the base unit 11, such that each tier 12 is received by the next lower tier 12, allowing the tiers 12 to maintained a nested, collapsed configuration. The user may utilize the handle 14 that is affixed to the lid 13 to facilitate movement of the tiers 12 between the collapsed and expanded configuration. In the shown embodiment, the base unit includes an external ring 28 that clearly delineates the separation between the stacked toilet paper rolls 101. If the user wishes to add additional toilet paper rolls 101, the user simply removes expands the tiers 12 upwardly according to the number of added rolls, accounting for the two toilet paper rolls 101 that are supported within the interior volume of the base unit 11. The user can then remove the lid 13 and insert the desired number of toilet paper rolls for storage.

In order to replace the empty core of a spent toilet paper roll, the user simply removes the handle 16 from the base unit 11. As the handle prongs are removed, the next toilet paper roll in the stack will fall down onto into the lower portion of the base unit 11, and the remaining toilet paper rolls follow. The user can then reinsert the handle 16 such that the prongs engage the new lowermost roll 101 and the next upper roll. In this way, a new roll is automatically dispensed to an accessible position via gravity simply by removing the handle 16 of the base unit 12. This allows the user to quickly and easily replace a spent roll.

It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention. 

I claim: 1) A toilet paper roll holder, comprising: a base unit comprising a bottom wall, a rear wall, a pair of sidewalls, a front wall having a lower access opening, and an open upper end defining an interior volume; a plurality of tiers, each tier comprising a plurality of sidewalls, an open upper end, and an open lower end defining an interior channel configured to enclose a toilet paper roll; wherein the plurality of tiers is disposed in a telescopic arrangement, such that the plurality of tiers is configured to be moveable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration; a removably attached handle comprising a pair of prongs that extend into the interior volume of the base unit through a pair of vertically spaced apertures disposed on one sidewall of the pair of sidewalls of the base unit; wherein each prong is configured to support a hollow cylindrical core of a toilet paper roll within the interior volume of the base unit, such that a lowermost toilet paper roll is accessible via the lower access opening of the front wall. 2) The toilet paper roll holder of claim 1, further comprising an interior lip disposed within the base unit that supports the lowermost tier. 3) The toilet paper roll holder of claim 1, further comprising a lid that is removably secured to the upper end of an uppermost tier of the plurality of tiers. 4) The toilet paper roll holder of claim 4, wherein the lid is removably secured to the upper end of the uppermost tier via a snap lock connection. 5) The toilet paper roll holder of claim 4, wherein the lid further comprises a handle. 6) The toilet paper roll holder of claim 1, wherein each tier of the plurality of tiers includes an interference fit ring disposed around a lower perimeter edge thereof. 7) The toilet paper roll holder of claim 1, wherein each tier of the plurality of tiers includes a taper from a lower edge to an upper edge, such that a diameter of the open lower end is greater than a diameter of the open upper end. 8) The toilet paper roll holder of claim 8, wherein the taper comprises an angle of one degree. 9) The toilet paper roll holder of claim 1, wherein each tier of the plurality of tiers comprises a directional indicator configured to indicate the proper orientation of each tier when disposed in a telescopic configuration. 10) The toilet paper roll holder of claim 1, wherein each tier of the plurality of tiers comprises an identifying indicator configured to indicate the proper order of each tier when disposed in a telescopic configuration. 11) A toilet paper roll holder, comprising: a base unit comprising a bottom wall, a rear wall, a pair of sidewalls, a front wall having a lower access opening, and an open upper end defining an interior volume; a plurality of tiers, each tier comprising a plurality of sidewalls, an open upper end, and an open lower end defining an interior channel configured to enclose a toilet paper roll; wherein the plurality of tiers is disposed in a telescopic arrangement, such that the plurality of tiers is configured to be moveable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration; a removably attached handle comprising a pair of prongs that extend into the interior volume of the base unit through a pair of vertically spaced apertures disposed on one sidewall of the pair of sidewalls of the base unit; one or more mounting apertures disposed on the base unit for securing the toilet paper roll holder to a vertically oriented surface via one or more fasteners; wherein each prong is configured to support a hollow cylindrical core of a toilet paper roll within the interior volume of the base unit, such that a lowermost toilet paper roll is accessible via the lower access opening of the front wall. 12) The toilet paper roll holder of claim 11, further comprising an interior lip disposed within the base unit that supports the lowermost tier. 13) The toilet paper roll holder of claim 11, further comprising a lid that is removably secured to the upper end of an uppermost tier of the plurality of tiers. 14) The toilet paper roll holder of claim 13, wherein the lid is removably secured to the upper end of the uppermost tier via a snap lock connection. 15) The toilet paper roll holder of claim 13, wherein the lid further comprises a handle. 16) The toilet paper roll holder of claim 11, wherein each tier of the plurality of tiers includes an interference fit ring disposed around a lower perimeter edge thereof. 17) The toilet paper roll holder of claim 11, wherein each tier of the plurality of tiers includes a taper from the open lower end to the open upper end, such that a diameter of the open lower end is greater than a diameter of the open upper end. 18) The toilet paper roll holder of claim 17, wherein the taper comprises an angle of one degree. 19) The toilet paper roll holder of claim 11, wherein each tier of the plurality of tiers comprises a directional indicator configured to indicate the proper orientation of each tier when disposed in a telescopic configuration. 20) The toilet paper roll holder of claim 11, wherein each tier of the plurality of tiers comprises an identifying indicator configured to indicate the proper order of each tier when disposed in a telescopic configuration. 